As you may already know, the College Board has made the SAT all digital and requires students to have their own devices to take the exam. A lot of parents and students may have questions on what devices they can use, what devices they should purchase, or what to do if they don’t have access to a device. The good news is that I’m here to help you decide how to navigate this decision.

What devices can you use?

• You can take the exam on any personal or school-managed Windows-based laptop or tablet
• You can take the exam on any personal or school-managed Apple Mac laptop
• You can take the exam on any personal or school-managed Apple iPad tablet
• You can take the exam on any school-managed Chromebook

What devices can’t you use?

• You cannot take the exam on a personal Chromebook.
• You cannot take the exam on a mobile phone (iPhone, Android, etc.)
• You cannot take the exam on an Android tablet
• You cannot take the exam on a Linux laptop

I don’t own any device but I’m looking to buy one. What do you recommend?

Since you or your child will be attending college soon, I recommend getting a laptop. Here are a few reasons:

• In college, you will write a lot. Therefore, it’s better to have a device with a built-in keyboard. Tablets can have keyboards but they’re external and often cost extra money. 
• Depending on the major, you may need a laptop for a specific class. Therefore, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
• It’s a lot easier to navigate the exam with a larger screen and a physical keyboard.

Here are a few laptop recommendations:

• ASUS Vivobook 14 (Intel Core i3, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)
• HP Envy x360 (AMD Ryzen 5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)
• Microsoft Surface Laptop (Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)
• Apple MacBook Air 13 (Apple M3, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD)

If you still want a tablet or are looking for the most economical computing device, the Apple iPad (10th generation) is the best deal in terms of versatility and computing power with prices seen as low as $250. 

Where can I download the Bluebook app? 

You can use this link to download the Bluebook app onto your device. The link will automatically recognize what device you’re on and download the right version. 

I don’t have access to a device nor can I afford my own. What should I do?

The College Board offers device rentals for students who either don’t have access to a device or cannot afford one. You must request the device at least 30 days in advance from the chosen testing date and you must arrive 30 minutes prior to the test to set up the device.

For more information, the College Board has updated information on their Device Lending page.